1 Donate money. The easiest way to help the homeless is to donate your money. This makes sure that professionals who understand where the most help is needed will have the resources necessary to help people.
- When you donate money, focus on local organizations. Large, national organizations (like the Salvation Army) spend a lot of their money on advocacy (which is good) but relatively little on actually helping people, especially in your area.
- You can also donate to local churches, temples, mosques, and other religious organizations, even if you aren't religious. These organizations have other sources of income to deal with the operating costs, so your money should go directly to helping people.
- If you want to check on a local organization and make sure that it is legit and uses its funds responsibly, then go to the GuideStar website. This is a sort of BBB of non-profit organizations.
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Donate items. Donating your used or new items is another easy way to help. Donate these items to local organizations which help the homeless or give them to homeless people you see frequently. The best items to donate include things like:
- Winter and weather gear (such as hats, mittens, coats, and boots)
- New underwear and socks
- Small hygiene items (like the type of items you get at hotels, small containers of toothpaste, etc.)
- Professional clothing (a hurdle to overcoming homelessness is looking presentable at job interviews)
- First aid items (such as Neosporin, Band-Aids, antibacterial and hand sanitizers)
- Secondary medical items (such as sunscreen, heavy duty lotions like Bag Balm, allergy medication and tissues)
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Provide food. Everyone needs to eat and they need to eat every single day. If you're hungry, your ability to make good decisions for yourself isn't very good, right? There are lots of ways that you can help homeless people get food.
- You can donate canned items and fresh fruits and vegetables to local soup kitchens.
- You can also drop off bananas, apples, or sandwiches, all of which you can get for cheap and in mass quantities from stores like Costco, with people you see on the street. Try to favor softer foods, such as bananas, because many individuals have dental problems that make eating apples or carrots difficult.
4 Create jobs. If you're in a position where you can give someone a job, do that. Whether it's offering to hire and train someone in a position like a secretary or file clerk, or just letting them do odd jobs like mowing your lawn, this can really make a huge difference for someone.
5 Contact local help. If you see people on the streets, one of the best things you can do for them is to call the local homeless services. Some people may not know how to locate help and so they never get it. Call for them and get them on the path to recovery.
6 Call emergency services. If someone is clearly having a serious problem, call emergency services. If you see someone who is clearly having a psychotic episode, call the Emergency Services. If you see someone who may be a danger to themselves or others, call for help also. If someone is in danger because of weather conditions or seems likely to commit suicide, call Emergency Services also.
